Australia is currently grappling with a youth mental health crisis, characterized by rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide among adolescents, which has made mental health conditions the leading cause of death in this age group.

Sophie Read-Hamilton poignantly shares the tragic story of her son, who died in late 2024, underscoring the systemic failures within the youth mental health system.

Despite government assurances of investment in youth mental health, families continue to encounter significant barriers when trying to access necessary care.

Families navigating the mental health system face numerous challenges, including long waitlists, unaffordable services, inadequate crisis support, and dismissive treatment from providers.

The current mental health system is fragmented, lacking integrated care between public and private services as well as community and inpatient facilities.

Reforms are essential to create a trauma-informed, family-inclusive, and integrated youth mental health system, addressing issues such as understaffing in acute care teams and improving communication with families.

The Commonwealth government's $500 million initiative for Youth Specialist Care Centres has been criticized for failing to adequately address the need for inpatient facilities for adolescents, often forcing them into unsuitable adult units during crises.

While private mental health services exist that provide effective and compassionate care tailored to young people, access remains limited and often unaffordable for many families.

Parents are frequently excluded from treatment discussions, which leaves them uninformed about their child's care and discharge plans, ultimately compromising the young person's safety and well-being.

Young people transitioning to adult mental health services often receive inadequate care, as their developmental needs extend beyond the age of 18.

Every health district should have adolescent psychiatric units staffed by experienced professionals, and there is a pressing need to improve access to novel treatments for depression to ensure timely intervention.

Legislation must be reformed to ensure that families are included in care discussions and that young people are not prematurely placed into adult mental health facilities.

Following the author's son's death, their complaint regarding the care he received went unacknowledged, highlighting a troubling lack of accountability within the mental health system.